Old Feelings, New Memories
by HappyTiger888
Summary: Based on Dreamworks Trolls! (SPOILERS FOR THE MOVIE INSIDE!) Princess Poppy has formed a bond with Branch, a once-miserable, gray Troll. They've got it good, now, singing, and dancing, and hugging... Even going on some dates...! But then, something happens. Something that could potentially break apart not just the two of them, but the whole of their memories and feelings as well.
1. Fun and Games

Hi everyone! I'm completely new to writing on FanFiction, but believe, I've had my fair share of reading on this website. Anyways, I fell in love with Dreamworks Trolls the minute I saw the movie, and I could NOT wait for a sequel, so I'm going to write a fanfiction story! This is NOT a one-shot story, as it is going to be filled with many chapters. I'm not giving away much in my first intro, so you guys will get surprises along the way. Oh, and I TOTALLY ship Branch x Poppy. They're just too cute! Have fun reading! (THERE ARE SPOILERS FOR THE MOVIE!)

 _ **New Feelings, Old Memories**_

 _Chapter One- Fun and Games_

 _*Three Years after the Trolls escaped the Troll Tree* (Poppy is four, Branch is five.)_

"What? Truth or Dare? You guys wouldn't…!" Young Princess Poppy spluttered. Her friends all grinned devilishly. Poppy moaned and covered her eyes. "Come on… It's _my_ birthday party!"

One of her friends spoke up. "Oh yes, Poppy. Your fourth birthday, girl!" She cast a strange sideways glance at the others. "That's why we took it upon ourselves to plan the greatest Truth-Or-Dare game this year _yet_!" Poppy shivered.

"Aww, you didn't have to…" She tried. "Hey, I know! Who wants to-"

"Play TRUTH OR DARE?!" Another Troll hollered wildly. Almost instantly, Poppy's yelps were smothered by her friends, all cheering and pumping their fists up in the air. The princess moaned.

"Please?" She attempted one last time. The same Troll from before smiled wickedly.

"Let's play!"

The Trolls all gathered in a tight circle inside Poppy's pod, which was a type of house that all Trolls lived in. Poppy was hesitant to join- She's played this game before, just a few weeks ago. Her friends had gotten her to admit what she does when nobody's around. Poppy knew she didn't want to answer, but she did anyway- When she thought nobody was watching, Poppy would fiddle with her Hugtime bracelet, trying to tinker it so that it would ring every few minutes! Nevertheless, the young princess never figured out how, and that in itself was a huge embarrassment!

"Please, noTruths this time," She pleaded futilely. Her friends all shrugged.

"Guess you're going with Dare, then," They all replied in unison, much to Poppy's ultimate surprise.

"Wait, w-what? I'm going first?" She squeaked.

"Oh yes, princess." Her friends all glanced at each other with strange looks painted on their faces. Poppy felt as if the lamps nearby had all flickered off, and the heat had left the pod.

"O-ok… Can somebody else go first?" She whimpered. Her friends shook their heads firmly.

"You first," They chanted. "You first, you first!"

"Ok, OK!" Poppy yelped at the top of her lungs. "Go! Go ahead!" Her friends all giggled, in a high pitch.

"Poppy, your dare is-!"

And that concludes my first chapter! Thanks for reading, you all! Chapter Two is coming out soon, nd don't forget to leave a comment! I welcome both praise and criticism, as well as suggestions for further stories. Be on the lookout for Chapter Two!


	2. Hidden Away

Here you guys go! Chapter Two of my story. Hope you enjoy, and leave a comment!

 _ **New Feelings, Old Memories**_

 _Chapter Two- Hidden Away_

"Shh, _shh!_ " Poppy held a shaking finger to her lips. "Guys, be _quiet!_ We don't want him to _hear_ us!" She and her friends were trooping through the forest, keeping as silent as they could- And failing. A bird hooted nearby, and Poppy flinched, huddling closer to her posse.

The sun was setting overhead, and the forest was no place to be when the sky faded to darkness and the blinking stars came out to play. Mysterious animals that normally slept through the day would wake during the night, and begin hunting for food. Trolls weren't on the menu, necessarily, but it was never safe to be roaming around in the dark. In a wooded area.

Another hoot. Poppy edged closer to the middle of the group, and was immediately pushed to the front again by one of her friends.

"You need to be in the front," Her friend hissed. "It's _your_ dare." Poppy trembled slightly.

"C-can't we just go home? I- I lose, 'kay? _Please?_ Can we just head back to the pod? Have ourselves a nice-" She was cut off abruptly by another one of her friends, who narrowed his eyes and pointed forward.

" _I see him…"_ He whispered. Almost instantly, Poppy's interest was piqued, and her fear of the forest evaporated like dew under the morning sun. If her friend was telling the truth, she was _very_ close to her target.

"Where. Is. He?" She whispered back, trying not to disturb anything. Her friend jerked his head towards an upcoming clearing, and Poppy weaved her way to the very front, ducking her bright pink hair down just in case her target saw her coming. When she was almost in the clearing, Poppy crouched down behind a bush, and motioned for her friends to do the same. They obeyed quickly, and before long, several heads peeked out from above the spiky shrubs.

Their eyes were fixed on the lone Troll facing away from them, sitting in the barely illuminated clearing.

Poppy's eyes were fixated solely on that Troll. All her senses were focused on. That. Troll. Everything around her became dim, except _for that Troll_. The princess's pupils dilated so that they could glimpse him clearer in the darkening environment.

The Troll was sitting on a huge gray rock- Which happened to be the same color he was. All of Poppy's friends drew sharp intakes of breaths. Even though they've seen this particular Troll before, they were still awed, and shocked, by how strange, weirdly unique and absurd he looked. Instead of bright, vivid colors, this Troll was a miserable-looking gray all throughout his body, with jet-black hair. He was wearing a plain, leafy green vest, with a pair of brown, shabby-looking pants that had patches sewn all over. Poppy looked up to his eyes. She was startled, and shocked. The Troll's eyes were of a young Troll's… Around Poppy's age, not older than five. Yet they contained a misery, a horror, a sadness in them that no Troll, no matter how old, should even stop and consider. As Poppy's eyes took him in, they instinctively roved to the left, and she gave a little start. Just ten feet away from the Troll lay a crumpled, wilted rose, already a sickly-looking brown color. And just beyond that- A crushed, cracked, mangled Hugtime bracelet. Wordlessly, Poppy pointed to the bracelet, and her friends, in turn, gasped silently. The Hugtime bracelet obviously belonged to the Troll in question. It's once bright, happy flower was cracked into pieces, and shards of glass and plastic littered the clearing. The band was ripped apart violently, and small pieces of string were strewn across the forest floor. Poppy felt her mood dampen just by looking at the scene, and the maker, and she turned away abruptly. "I can't do this."

Her friends, shocked, all turned and glowered at her. "We've come this far!" They protested softly. "Poppy, you can't back down now."

Poppy gave out a little groan and covered her face with her hands. "I can't. I _can't._ " She peeked from her fingers, and clearly saw all her friends still glaring at her. "Just _look_ at him, guys… _Look_ …" Poppy slowly trailed off until she said nothing at all. The young princess was beginning to notice something- All of her friends' faces bore a similar emotion. Dejected, disappointed, and slightly aghast. At her.

And at that moment, something clicked, and the Poppy knew she could not let her friends down. Her next sentence came out as a whisper. _"Let's go."_

 **BRANCH POV**

Branch tried to hold in his cries. Really, he did. The gray Troll tried to swallow every single one of them up, envelope them inside of him, and keep them there, both restless and trapped. Occasionally, a small sniffle escaped, but that barely painted the full picture of what was going on inside of him. Inside the tormented Troll, mixed feelings of misery, sadness, anguish, and remorse tumbled around and around, threatening to explode out of him if he let down his guard even once.

Even three years later, Branch could not get the scene out of his head.

 _*FLASHBACK* One-year old Branch is singing with a beautiful red rose in hand. His grandma, Grandma Rosiepuff, stood a few feet away, doing laundry._

" _And I need you now, tonight…" Branch sang._

" _And I need you more, than ever…"_

 _A looming shadow is silhouetted behind the young Troll. A Bergen._

 _Branch doesn't notice. But Grandma Rosiepuff does. She breaks away from her clothesline, and makes a frantic dash towards her grandson. "Branch! BRANCH!" Grandma Rosiepuff yelled for him to get out of the way. Branch doesn't respond, too deep in his vocals._

 _Suddenly, the Bergen swipes for him… And nabs his beloved grandma instead. Grandma Rosiepuff shoved her grandson out of the way just in time. Young Branch tumbled to the ground, his fall broken by a giant, green leaf. One thought thunders through the young Troll's head. His grandma had scarified herself for him._

" _GRANDMA!"_

 _*FLASHBACK ENDS*_

Branch squeezed his eyes shut tight. He could do it. He could control his emotions. He could-

" _Swish."_

Branch's head shot up, and he glanced around him warily. The sun was setting rapidly, and a coolness in the air was slowly settling on the Troll's shoulders. Shivering, Branch stood up, ready to trot away.

" _Swish."_ That sound again. Branch narrowed his eyes. He doesn't say anything.

And then he spots a tuft of colorful pink hair emerge from the bushes nearby.

 **END OF CHAPTER**

Whew! Sorry if this chapter was so long- I wanted to successfully incorporate Branch (My favorite character!) and his ordeal in there. Anyways, now that Branch has spotted Poppy, what's his reaction going to be? How's he going to respond? Find out in Chapter Three! Be sure to leave a comment!


	3. Unveiled

Hello hello, back with Chapter Three! Hope you enjoy, and leave a comment!

 _ **New Feelings, Old Memories**_

 _Chapter Three- Unveiled_

The young gray Troll, not wanting to cause a ruckus, slowly stood up and carefully placed his feet so that they didn't step over any dried leaves or sticks. He didn't want to alarm the Troll that the pink tuft of hair belonged to. Also, Branch wanted a clean, quiet getaway. He was _not_ in the mood to talk.

"Hello!" The voice rang out, clear as crystal through the silent forest. Startled, Branch placed one foot towards his getaway route, into the bushes on the opposite side of the clearing. And then the pink tuft of hair moved. Branch was about to bolt away, but woefully, his broken heart refused, knowing that despite the fact that he didn't want to, Branch _needed comfort._ He wasn't sure if he wanted to accept whatever this Troll had to offer to him for coming out to his clearing this late, but his feet did not allow him to do otherwise.Helpless, Branch felt rooted to the spot as the pink-haired Troll emerged. But she wasn't alone- Nine other Trolls slipped out behind her, clumsily stumbling out of the spiky, prickly bushes. Branch resisted the urge to smile, to giggle, to laugh. Not in the mood. He may never be in the mood again. Nowthe young gray Troll wanted to escape.

But before he could, the pink Troll uttered, "Pl-please stay… Don't run. Please." Branch gritted his teeth. He was torn. The pink Troll stepped forward as nonchalantly as she could muster, and when her face was illuminated by the moonlight, and it was then that Branch realized he was face-to-face with none other than Princess Poppy of the Trolls herself.

The gray Troll stood stock-still, frightened, and ready to dash like a surprised deer. He counted nine of Poppy's friends- A big, chubby blue one carrying a caterpillar, a sparkly, naked one, a tiny, yellow one, two Trolls connected by the hair, a purple one, a fuzzy one, one wearing headphones, and a pink giraffe-like one. He did not enjoy any of their presences. _Especially_ not the purple one. Neither did Branch appreciate the princess's presence either, but he wasn't going to just blow off the king's daughter…

The princess reached out a hand tentatively. "Are y-you OK?" She stuttered. Branch could only stare. Before, he would gaze at her as she was with her friends, laughing and singing and hugging and dancing, generally. Now, she looked scared. And hesitant.

So he ran.

Alarmed by the princess's aburd behavior, Branch, in shock, pinwheeled backwards and out of the clearing, his feet slapping the forest floor. Before Poppy could even blink, the mysterious gray Troll before her had vanished, quickly and effectively blending into the foliage.

"Wait! _WAIT!_ " The princess cried. "Please! Come back!" Her frantic yelps came to no avail- The Troll had vanished. Poppy's eyes were like twin moons- Big and round, reflecting exactly what she felt at that moment. Helpless, hopeless. She turned back slowly towards her friends. "H-he ran… He _ran!"_

Somewhere in the deep, gloomy forest, Branch quivered and trembled as he picked up on Poppy's every word. The experience had shaken him to the core. But nothing, _no one,_ could erase the older memory already engrained deep.

Back at the clearing, Poppy was quietly sniffling. "G-guys… I tried…" Normally, the young princess was upbeat, happy and energetic, but she had found that whenever she even _thought_ of the Troll in question, she would break into hysterics, or just softly sniffle for the next few minutes. Her mood would darken every. Single. Time.

Poppy's friends crowded around her affectionately.

"We know, we know," They consoled Poppy gently. "He's just an old boring sackbag of no fun, Poppy. You tried. Dare's over." They separated.

"You win!" The pink giraffe-like Troll, and the tiny, yellow Troll suddenly cheered, attempting to lighten up the tension. Poppy sighed.

"Thanks, Cooper, Smidge. But I don't think I won any prizes," She murmured. The sparkly, glittery Troll spoke up.

"M-maybe you can go after him?" He suggested. All the Trolls turned to look at him, shocked. He shrugged. "Hey, if it's not a good idea, my argument is that I can _definitely_ beat you all at one thing- Singing!"

"You're on fire, Guy Diamond." The two Trolls, connected by the hair, sniped. Then they turned accusingly on the sparkly Troll. "Do you think that's exactly a good idea right now? _Look_ at her-" They pointed to Poppy. "Do you think she's in the mood to go after him?" Poppy held up her hands.

"Satin. Chenille. Please. Don't make it any worse," She muttered.

The clearing exploded into voices. The fuzzy Troll, Fuzzbert, jumped up and down, trying to help. Biggie, the chubby blue Troll, held out his pet caterpillar to Poppy, in an effort to please her. The Troll wearing headphone, DJ Suki, was staring sorrowfully at Poppy.

Just then, a soft, purple warm hand reached up to the young princess.

"They're just trying to help, Poppy. Do not cry. Your spirits are down. Please, lighten up. For your sake and ours," The owner murmured. Then, when Poppy lifted her head to look at him, he smiled gently, and lightly poked her nose.

"Boop."

Poppy sniffed, and wiped away a stray tear. "Th-thanks, C-Creek." Creek offered her another warm, almost affectionate grin.

"That's my Poppy."

But when he turned back around, to calm down all her friends, the young, pink Troll princess turned, and, without hesitation, followed the gray Troll's path into the darkening forest.

 **END OF CHAPTER**

So, what'd you think? One thing- I went through and described all of Poppy's friends and their names to you, so sorry for everybody who already watched Trolls. I just wanted to make sure _everybody_ was clear on Poppy's friends and all. Chapter Four is coming out soon! Plz leave comments!


	4. Uncovered

Greetings! Chapter Four is officially out, (You're reading it! EEEE!) I'm so pumped for all you guys to read it! Enjoy!

 _ **New Feelings, Old Memories**_

 _Chapter Four- Uncovered_

 **Poppy POV**

Poppy huffed as her breaths grew ragged. She pushed her way through the thick underbrush, wincing as sharp brambles pricked her skin. Then, to make it worse, she heard her friends behind her, hollering for her to come back. The princess stopped. Then she squeezed her eyes shut, and debated. She knew she shouldn't have necessarily run off like that, especially in nighttime, in the woods. But she also knew that if she _didn't_ take the chance to follow the gray Troll, she might never get one ever again.

The pink Troll's feet picked up again, and she continued to run. Dead leaves crackled crisply underfoot, and her hair was beginning to look like a bird's nest.

Suddenly, Poppy heard it. Around a good hundred feet away from her friends, and the clearing, she heard it.

Sniffling. Then a hiccup.

Poppy instantly froze, continuing onward only by edging forward inch-by-inch slowly. She was sure she had heard sniffling. Positive.

Then she heard more sniffling. A cough. Then two sniffles, followed up by a hiccup.

Poppy lowered herself behind a tall tree stump, and dared to peek out. She was far away from the clearing before- She could verify that by not being able to hear her friends' frantic calls. But somehow, she felt as if she was safer here.

Another sniffle. Another cough. The princess peeked out again, and started. She was staring right at the gray Troll from before! Except, he was a good ten feet away, quietly sniffling and coughing and hiccupping on the cold, hard ground. And Poppy could see that he was clearly crying. Clear droplets of tears occasionally splashed down on the ground, until the ground beneath the distraught Troll was shining brightly in a clear fluorescence, illuminated by the glowing moon overhead. Poppy's heart twisted.

That's probably why she didn't hesitate to unveil her hiding spot.

As soon as the young princess stood up, brushing away stray leaves and dirt from her light blue dress casually, the gray Troll in question jerked up and started scooching away tautly, as if his joints were made of metal. His eyes were big, round and wet, and for the first time, Poppy realized how young this Troll was. Not younger than her- No, he looked to be older. But young. She cocked her head, trying to ignore her shaking bones.

"H-hi," She stammered. The gray Troll's mouth twisted into a straight line, almost disappearing altogether, but at least he stopped looking like he was trying to get away.

 **Branch POV**

It was her. The same Troll as before. She was standing roughly ten feet away from him, looking lost, wounded, and generally hapless. But deep down, something stirred, and Branch knew that to get to him, this Troll would've had to have completed the distance.

He looked up shakily at her. He did not smile. But he did not bolt, either.

That was _before_ she took a step towards him.

Something clicked, and he ran. Tears forming at the ridges of his eyes, Branch let out a small, unreadable sound as he made his escape. It felt as if something, a magnet, kept pulling him away from the pink Troll princess. He wanted to talk to her. He wanted her to comfort him. He wanted somebody to hug. Not to dance with, and _definitely_ not to sing with. But simply somebody to hug. The gray Troll desired the warmth of another, the sincerity and serenity that came in a plus package with hugging. Mostly, he wanted another Troll to show that they still cared for him.

Because, of course, Branch had nobody left.

And yet, the lonely gray Troll couldn't spare anything to let the desired happen. Some kept him from allowing others to puncture his tight, freshly-woven shell. The way _he_ viewed it, he wouldn't _let_ anybody puncture it either. Even though his yearning heart told otherwise.

So there Branch was, running as fast as he could for the second time, away from the Troll princess. The last thing on his mind, this time, was how he was blowing off the king's daughter.

The young gray Troll was panting now, as his lungs simply could not take that much running in one night. He fully expected the princess to pursue him, but strangely, after a good ten-something feet, her footsteps stopped. Abruptly.

A _thunk_ followed.

Branch kept running. He couldn't tell for sure if the princess was faking an injury, or simply had given up, but he wasn't going to take any chances. She had already pursued him two times in one night- One more time, and it would be Branch who would have to stop first.

Hope you guys enjoyed! B sure to leave a comment- Chapter Five is coming out soon! (Guaranteed to have _lots_ of Branch x Poppy cuteness!)


	5. Blood Red

Alright, you guys, this chapter is going to be quite short, sorry about that, but it's going to be my favorite yet! Reason: Lots of Branch x Poppy inside! Enjoy!

 _ **New Feelings, Old Memories**_

 _Chapter Five- Taken In_

Branch stopped. His heart hammering in his chest, the gray Troll slowly turned around and gazed at the path of destruction he'd caused. Grass was trampled, flowers were stomped on, and bushes were pushed out of the way. All was silent. The waning moon shone brightly overhead, casting an eerie glow over the night.

And then Branch abruptly turned and raced back the way he'd came.

 **Poppy POV**

Poppy shut her eyes tightly, trying to keep out the blinding pain in her right leg. It didn't help. Bright crimson blood was spurting out like a gushing waterfall, staining nearby grass and plants a bloody red. A pile of dirt lay to the princess's right.

The pulsing, silver light from the moon glittered above the blood, causing it to reflect brightly with shimmering ferocity.

Poppy's right leg was torn up in several places, and a big, bloody gash had opened, causing Poppy a lot of blood loss. She moaned softly, laying her head on the icy ground. There was not a sliver of daytime left by this point- The night had taken over, and obviously planned to consume the princess. Occasionally, red-hot, searing pains shot up her leg, and she yelped with each blaze. Poppy tried to heave herself up in a standing position, but it just wouldn't come to her. First she'd prop her body up with her left arm, and stay like that, panting and nearly hyperventilating, before giving up and dropping back down. Raise up, drop down, repeat. Raise up, drop down, repeat. After about six tries, the young princess was too exhausted and numb to continue. She couldn't even raise her head to stare halfheartedly at what had tripped her- In fact, the weary, frozen Troll didn't even _know_ what had happened. All she knew was that she was running, running… And then, _BAM_ , her face was slammed onto the cold, hard ground and her mouth had filled with dirt.

…

Poppy lay there, helpless on the frozen forest ground, as she waited with no hope in her heart for help to arrive.

 **Normal POV**

Not a soul was there to tell of the act. The moon had saw. But the moon can't tell.

A lone gray Troll, whose eyes bore a great sadness, gently, almost lovingly, carefully lifted the injured pink Troll off the cold ground. He carried her in a rock-a-bye-baby form in his arms, and, although struggling momentarily to regain his balance, found the strength to finally move. The only tracks left behind to tell of the tale were the blood-red footprints, leading away, far away…

 **END OF CHAPTER**

My heart totally melted with this chapter…~! So caring, Branch! Well, I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! More Branch x Poppy sweetness to come!


	6. Saved

Branch x Poppy overload in this chapter! Enjoy!

 _ **New Feelings, Old Memories**_

 _Chapter Six- Bunker and Warmth_

 **Poppy POV**

"Urgh… Put me… Down…" The young princess moaned as strong hands gently lifted her up, up, up from the frozen ground. She attempted to open her eyes, but bleariness and the searing pain prevented the subtle movement and the princess could only lay limply in the mystery Troll's arms.

Then she blacked out.

 **Branch POV**

Branch doubted every single nerve and muscle in his body. He shouldn't be doing this. He _couldn't_ be doing this. Not this, carrying the _princess_ of the Trolls in _his_ arms, limp as a rag doll, while he huffed and puffed to race to his bunker before she lost it.

 **Poppy POV**

Poppy blearily opened her eyes, coughing once and then wincing as a horrible pain shot up her spine. Her focus was blurry- All she could pinpoint were some fuzzy objects of various bleak colors. Then the princess realized she was wrapped in a blanket, which smelled like dirt, leaves, and sweat. She scrunched her eyes, trying to call to her friends.

"DJ…? G-Guy Diamond…?" She croaked weakly. "C-Cooper…?" Poppy tried to turn her head, but another sharp pain sent her whimpering. She coughed, and to her horror, a clump of blood greeted her in dark humor on the blanket. Poppy flinched, and coughed again. More blood. She was about to call out again, for some Troll to come help, when a figure entered the room. With her vision still blurred, Poppy could only make out a gray color, topped with black. Even with her confused and injured state, however, the princess knew that it was none other than the mysterious, gray Troll from before.

He walked over to her hesitantly, then gave a little start when he spotted the blood clots staining the blanket. As Poppy watched on weakly, the gray Troll, now becoming clearer and clearer in her line of sight, rushed out of the room, mumbling something about 'staining' and 'wipe'. She sniffed, then tried to move. Streaks of unidentified pain shot up her right leg, and the young princess yelped.

Which, in turn, brought the gray Troll right back in the room. He approached her again, slowly, carefully, but now armed with a white sheet. Finally, Poppy's vision cleared fully, and she blinked. The gray Troll blinked back at her, eyes wide.

Poppy sneezed.

 **Branch POV**

Branch yelped as bloody mucus and snot shot all over his body, wet and grimy and disgusting. He futilely tried to wipe it off, but to no avail. Sighing, the young Troll turned back to the injured princess. He reached one hand out to her carefully, and showed her the white sheet he was carrying. She seemed more awake now- Her eyes were bright, clear, open, and she stared at him intensely.

"You came," She uttered. Branch nearly fell backwards in surprise. The sheet flew out of his hands, and the pink Troll followed it with her gaze as the sheet slowly fluttered to the floor, like a dying bird. "You saved me," She whispered. Branch drew in a breath. Even in her ragged, horrible state, there was still a blink, a spark, a wisp of optimism shining deep within her eyes. It made Branch reel back again in horror. Why couldn't _he_ be like that? Why couldn't _he_ get over the pain as quickly as she seemed to able to do?


	7. New Encounter

Thank you all who have posted comments. And feel free to ask questions- I don't bite! So if you are simply reading my story, don't be shy, post that comment and I will be happy to read it!

 _ **New Feelings, Old Memories**_

 _Chapter Seven- New Encounter_

Branch shut his eyes, trying to erase the princess's hopeful gaze from his mind. It wasn't _his_ fault that he still could _feel_ the physical _pain_ of losing his grandma. Poppy could have easily recovered from a simple broken right leg, it seemed. Yes, that was it. Branch took a deep breath, and faced the pink Troll.

His, a tragedy. Hers, a mishap.

The princess jerked him back to his current mode. He was startled when she tried to inch off the couch, towards him.

"No no no," Branch stammered. "Stay put." The pink Troll froze.

"You talk." She said openly. Branch ducked his head.

The pink Troll opened her arms. "Three… Two… One." She counted softly. _Ding._ Her Hugtime bracelet chimed, and the beautiful pink flower opened to reveal a soft yellow glow. Poppy cocked her head and raised an eyebrow. Branch held up both his hands and shook his head firmly.

"Leave me alone." He muttered, turning to bolt out of the room. He was no further than halfway when a painful _thud_ made him turn back.

When he turned, Branch saw what Poppy had done, maybe partly on purpose. The young gray Troll sighed in exasperation and dutifully headed back.

The princess had managed to wrench her whole body off the couch, and she now lay, gasping like a fish out of water, on the floor. Branch glared halfheartedly at her, then sighed again and moved to help her back up.

He grasped her by the shoulders and, huffing, placed her in a sitting position on the couch. As he was moving the blanket back in place, he suddenly felt a warmth creep up his back. Poppy had put her arms around him, tentatively hugging him. Branch froze. The princess tilted her head to look at him.

"W-what's wrong?" She stammered. "Don't you like hugs?" She pierced him with a sharp gaze. "And why are you so _gray_ all the time?" All the questions harbored deep within her shot out. Without her meaning to go so fast.

"Is this where you live? How come you seem to hate me? How did you turn gray? How old are you? Are you depressed?" The last question rang in the air, and Branch stiffened.

"No," He grumped. "I'm _not_ depressed." He turned away from the princess. Not depressed.

Poppy wrung her hands together, waiting for answers that weren't going to come.

Branch's mouth drooped, and with a heavy heart and no words forming in his mouth, the gray Troll looked away, and walked stiffly from the room. An uncomfortable silence followed, then Poppy's eyes widened.

"W-wait! Where are you _going_? Are you just going to _leave_ me here?!" She finally yelped as the realization dawned on her. The normally perky, energetic pink Troll absolutely did _not_ want to be confined to a couch, in a small, cramped room.

Frowning, the princess took her surroundings in. Poppy took in dirt walls and a dirt ceiling, a chipped, rickety wooden bookcase in the corner, a scraggly patched rug in the center, and in front of her, an old wooden table. Not to mention the whole room smelled like sweat and dust. Poppy wrinkled her nose, and attempted to move from her awkward position on the couch in one feeble movement. Her right leg, however had other plans. It sent jolts of pain up her back, and with a defeated sigh, the pink princess leaned back against the couch, and stared sleepily up at the ceiling.

"Oh, gray Troll," She murmured as her eyelids started to droop. "Whoever you are… I'm going to make you happy again." Poppy yawned. "And as soon as I'm all better from my leg… I'm going to make it my personal mission… To help you… Regain… Regain your true… True colors."

 **END OF CHAPTER**

So, in case you guys are confused with the next chapter coming out, this chapter ended the Trolls as young kids. The next chapter will begin _after_ the movie! Tell me any suggestions or comments!


	8. Ho, Ho, Troll

HI! Sorry for not posting in a while, I just finished finals, and I was SUPER busy during that time. But I think I'll be able to get back on track now! So, everybody knows the holidays are upon us, whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or another festival. I thought it would be fun to write a holiday edition of the story. This chapter is still going to follow the story line- Just in holiday mode. I'm going to write it with Christmas, since that's what I celebrate. Hope you enjoy!

 _ **New Feelings, Old Memories**_

 _Chapter Eight- Ho, Ho, Troll_

 _*Current time- A few weeks after the movie takes place. Christmas is the next day.*_

"That's it, just put one foot in front of the other…" The pink Troll coaxed as she held the hand of a blue Troll, who was effectively shaking so much the pink Troll had to grip his hand tightly. "You're not going to fall, Branch," The pink Troll soothed. "Yes, left foot, right foot…"

"Gah!" The blue Troll finally stopped. "Poppy, I can't!" He pointed down at his feet, which were strapped in ice skates. "Look at me!"

Poppy stared at him. "What's to look at?" She tried not to snicker.

"I'm supposed to be shaky on ice with these things," Branch started, "But I can't even walk _on land_ with them!" He groaned, covering his face. "And the ice pond is still a hundred feet away…"

Poppy patted him on the back. "Five feet, Branch, five feet."

Branch looked up. "Right. As if I can manage it without collapsing on my face." He tried to move his feet again, but instead had to fix Poppy's hand with an iron grip as he nearly toppled over on the snowy ground. Poppy giggled as a snowflake dipped in the wind and fell on her nose. Branch was the opposite.

"Oh _great_. Now the _snow's_ coming down? It's like the whole _world_ is against me today," He grumbled. Poppy rolled her eyes.

"Only the skates," She offered.

The two Trolls continued their slow journey to the Troll village's ice pond, where at least a dozen of Trolls was already skating, or slipping, around on the frozen water. The day wasn't sunny, with the sun hiding behind a gray cloud. Its rays shone through, however, producing a warm, soft glow upon the frozen pond. Light cold snow fluttered down from the clouds, dotting the landscape in fluffy white clusters. The pond itself was tried and _truly_ frozen. The chill from the night before had set that in stone, and now, the ice glittered and dazzled underneath the sun's light. Occasionally, if the sunbeams shot through at just the right angle, there would be a pierce, a flash of light that disappeared in a heartbeat.

As the two neared, Branch started shaking more violently.

"I can't!" He wailed softly. Poppy turned a stern eye on him.

"You _can_. It's _just. Ice!_ Branch, relax. Breathe in, breathe out." A glint appeared in her eyes. "And now- _GO!"_

Branch yelped as Poppy heaved him away from her, and onto the slippery pond. His feet instantly gave way, and he plopped on his behind as Trolls skated past him and laughed.

Poppy put one foot on the ice, then two feet, and skated gracefully over to Branch's side. "Get up, lazy!" She chided. "You're not going anywhere until you learn to skate!"

Branch moaned, rubbing his back. He attempted to stand up on his two legs, but only got halfway until his skates decided to pull a fast one. The sharp blades tilted at the wrong angle on the ice, and he landed back on the cold ice sheet, with Poppy chuckling above him.

"You know what?" She suddenly blurted out, looking away quickly. "I'll leave you be for now, Branch. I see the Snack Pack over there!" She looked back down at him, her eyes excited. "Maybe you'll get better _without_ me by your side. For now."

And with that, the princess skated away smoothly, her skates kicking up shards of ice crystals behind her. Branch stared after her.

"Ditched for the Snack Pack," He sighed aloud. Then he decided to try getting up one more time. Slowly placing one shaking, right foot on the ice, Branch lifted his body up with his right hand, and- Fell back down with a _oof_!

He was about to give up, and wait dutifully for Poppy to come back, when the blue Troll caught a glimpse of color flash by in the nearby bushes. He perked up, and narrowed his eyes, staring hard at the leafy green plants. Nothing.

But there _was_ something.

 **END OF CHAPTER**

Well, sincerely hoped you liked that! Sorry if it's not exactly the longest chapter, or the best, but I'm still getting my gears back up and running after tough final exams. Stay tuned for the next chapter, coming soon! ( _Really_ soon!)


	9. Old Suspicions

Here's Chapter 9! Hope you enjoy, and be sure to leave comments!

 **NEW FEELINGS, OLD MEMORIES**

 _Chapter Nine- Old Suspicions_

 **BRANCH POV**

Branch shakily got to his feet, gritted his teeth, and forced one foot in front of the other. The ice seemed to cackle at him, and the blades of his skates bent at the wrong angle, sending him shooting back onto the cold sheet. Sighing, the gray Troll sat there gloomily, trying to pinpoint Poppy and the Snack Pack. Surprisingly, they were nowhere in sight- Pretty odd, giving the fact that Poppy had _just_ said she'd spotted them. Branch couldn't see the energetic pink princess herself either.

 _Rustle._

The gray Troll's head whipped around and he pierced the nearby bushes with a steely gaze. Branch was sure he had heard something suspicious. He half-crawled, half-skated the three feet in length to the edge of the frozen pond. Then he waddled towards the green plants, trying not to slip.

"Hello?" Branch called tentatively. "Is some Troll there? Come out-" He broke off abruptly when a swath of purple hair shot out and clamped around his neck. "Wha? Hey! Let go!" Branch roared, struggling with his neck. He formed claws with his fingers and raked the hair, only to have it get stuck between his fingers. "Let. _Go!_ " The purple hair finally receded, and Branch blinked, panting like a dog. He gazed into the bushes, and gave a start when two almond-shaped blue eyes stared back. "…Lilac."

 _*Flashback*_

" _I'm inviting you to my sixth birthday party, silly!" The young pink Troll squealed in excitement. "See? See? I made this card just for you!" She giddily handed over a handmade card, complete with glitter and messily cut-out shapes. "It's just for you!"_

 _The gray Troll, not two years older than her, glared at the card halfheartedly. The pink Troll's eyes grew wide as she tried to suppress the happiness bubbling up inside of her. The gray Troll didn't crumple her card!_

 _Because he proceeded to rip it apart instead._

" _I told you, I don't wanna be invited to any birthday parties of yours!" He spat. Poppy blinked, her breath caught in her throat. "And I don't wanna go to any other parties either!" The gray Troll finished harshly. With that, he stalked away, a raining cloud practically upon his head. Poppy took a minute to absorb what had just happened._

 _Her eyes started to well up with cold, fast tears._

 _A gentle hand rested on her shoulder. "C-Creek?" Poppy sniffed, turning around. No. It wasn't her longtime buddy- Not Creek._

 _A young purple Troll, the same age as Poppy, smiled warmly at the princess. Her hair was the same color as her skin, yet it looked so silky, like the petals of a lilac…_

" _Don't let him get to you, Princess," The purple Troll soothed. "I'll be your friend!" She spread her arms out. "See? What do you want to play? I'll play with you."_

 _Poppy's eyes lit up, and, with a delighted giggle, swept the purple Troll up in a whirlwind of games._

 _*Flashback ends*_

"A pleasure to see you, Branch."

Branch jerked out of his daydream and blinked. "Huh? Did you just talk?" He asked the bush, not quite over his blurry dream.

"I can see you feel the same," The voice from before commented dryly. Branch watched in surprise as a lithe purple Troll unfolded herself from within the bush. She was the color of a lilac flower, and her hair was as silky as ever. Her eyes, piercing electric blue, gazed at Branch.

With something along the line of contempt. Brash, hot contempt. Branch cocked his head.

"Why the sour mood?"

Lilac cracked a sarcastic smile. "I've never been pleased to see you, O Gray One," She drawled. Branch frowned.

"A _hem_ , I'm _blue_ now. What are you doing, Lilac? Why were you hiding in a bush just now?" He narrowed his eyes. The shifty purple Troll was up to something. Lilac blinked innocently up at him.

"May I ask what _you_ are doing?" She inquired smoothly. "Sitting on the ice pathetically, I saw."

Branch shrugged. "Try 'waiting for Poppy to come back'." Lilac smirked.

"Oh, I get it. The wittle gra-blue Troll is dabbling after his childhood enemy now, isn't he! Why, that's just darling."

Branch gritted his teeth. Lilac had never liked him, and he had never liked her. For one, the purple Troll would never hang around Poppy in public, but when the Snack Pack dispersed, Branch, who was _always_ watching Poppy in sort-of-a-stalkerish-way, caught Lilac, moving in for the kill. It was like she wasn't there… But _was_ there.

"Why are you always beating around the bush with Trolls?" Branch blurted out. Lilac's eyes widened, but only slightly. Their electric-blue shock never left Branch's face. He egged himself on. The blue Troll had always kept this information deep inside his heart, but now, now that his victim was right in front of him- He poured it all out. "Like, don't think for a second that I already forgot the fact that you used to chase after Poppy- In _secret_. What are you trying to accomplish, Lilac? What's wrong with you? You'll never get your way if you continue to sneak around in the dark."

Lilac opened her mouth. Branch braced himself. The purple Troll could resemble a panther if you weren't careful.

But instead of biting his ear off, Lilac took one last look and dove back into the bushes without saying a word. Branch stood there, panting. He had spilled all his private thoughts of Lilac out. Right in front of her.

He had never felt so good.

 **POPPY POV**

Poppy hummed to herself as she bent down to pick up another handful of snow, twinkling with bright intensity under the flashing sun. The Snack Pack was following her, chattering like little birds as they also sought out little knickknacks and quaint little things. Occasionally, one of them would bend down, pick up their target, and drop it into the little bags strapped around their waists. Poppy looked over, behind her back.

"Pick up anything you think he'd like," She reminded them. DJ Suki raised her head.

"Uh… Does he like a half-eaten acorn?" She snorted, raising a half-eaten acorn up from the ground. Poppy raised an eyebrow.

"He'd love it."

She watching Suki shake the soft snow off the acorn, then pocket it inside the bag. Then Poppy decided her friends needed a pick-me-up. They were moving quite sluggishly, their footfalls dampened by the deep snow and their drowsiness elevated due to the warm rays of the sun. "Quickly, now!" The princess warned. "Branch is probably waiting anxiously for my- _our_ return."

"Quit kidding us, Poppy," A voice piped up. "Of _course_ we don't care if you say Branch is waiting for you, not us- We _all_ know!" Her remark was met with chuckles, and Poppy turned back around, her cheeks burning bright red. In her hurry, she dropped the prize of the day- Something the princess knew in her heart that Branch would very much like. Poppy hastily bent down to search for it, as it had effectively sunk deep down into the powdery white substance. Wincing as the cold cut into her fingers, the princess dug futilely like a puppy for the object she knew would make Branch happy.

 **NORMAL POV**

All around the Troll village, the little creatures scurried to and fro, preparing for the holidays to come.

Lights were hung, bells rang, delicious snacks put up in storefronts.

But little did they know, an upcoming event would overshadow their beloved Christmas and stun the entire village with the loss.

 **END OF CHAPTER**

Much thanks for reading! Sorry that the story is so late- I've just not had any inspiration lately, so I took a break. Also, I understand that Christmas has passed already, but it doesn't hurt to revive some of the holiday spirit, right? Be sure to leave a comment, and Chapter Ten is coming out soon!


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